2012: The Top 100 Best Songs: Part I (#81--#100)

It's been an interesting year for singles but even more so for non-singles. This list is for all album tracks because as we all know, sometimes the best songs aren't the singles--thank you Frank Ocean.

Here the countdown begins with the first 20 songs:






81. Hot Knife (Fiona Apple):

‘he excites me’ yells Apple over a piano-laced riff and you get excited because it, especially when her sister Maude joins her on the sublime vocal workout that is the chorus.




82. Survival Tactics (Joey Badass feat. Capt. Steez):

the kid is only 17 but yet cutting teeth hard on mean riffs and the project life. Imagine the next ten years.




83. Authentic Pyrrhic Remission (Of Montreal):

through his constant questioning of identity though, Barnes never fails to connect to this weird, cool space.



84. The Full Retard (El-P):

the stand-out on his new album swerves unpredictable from a gorgeous groove into some astute lyricism and a weird spoken word section and a sample from late friend Camu Tao.




85. Bang (Rye Rye feat. M.I.A):

her style grates but Rye Rye hits the mark here even with the curious phrase “come catch up”. M.I.A wisely puts in a subtle supporting role.




86. Do The Trick (Dr. Dog):

breaching Vampire Weekend territory, the band pummels out this romper so easily that it makes one wonder how come they hadn’t strayed down this path before.




87. King of the World (First Aid Kit):

a vivid, lush folk masterpiece replete with flute and stunning lines that highlight loss and wanton emptiness that afflicts so many singers.




88.

Rosie Oh (Animal Collective): our favourite indie band returns with a trippy, water-logged dash of brilliance that reminds of their fantastic previous project.



89. Smear the Queen (Xiu Xiu):

Jaime Stewart sings about ‘the horror, the horror’, in a tale of gay bashing yet, keeping in mind his twisted sense of pain, he also retells the discovery of finding his hands in someone else’s stretch-pants. It’s kinky but that’s what he does best




90. Petition (Tennis):

the bounciness of the tune shows much variety from Tennis and the celebrated style continues right up to the end with flourish. Good stuff.




91. Do Ya Thing (Gorillaz feat. James Murphy & Andre 3000):

that this trio actually recording a track was the stuff of dreams already but here the reality is even better than any fan could have hoped for.




92. You Know You Like It (AlunaGeorge):

while The Weeknd has been busy reinventing 90s R&B, George becomes his female counterpart with this heavy Mary J. Blige-ish effort that grooves for days.




93. The Hours (Beach House):

with the band ones know what to expect as well as what you’ll get and The Hours is no different: a lovely, psychedelic reel of greatness.




94. Towers (Bon Iver):

continuing his pastoral glee, Vernon turns his fiddling passion into a smooth flow juxtaposed to that trademark falsetto and peppers crashing horns everywhere.




95. I’m Not Talking (A.C. Wonder):

the heavy sentiment wrapped into pop perfection and infectious beats remains his trademark and yet again we have a winner.




96. U & Me & Everyone We Know (Jean Grae):

an unusual turn for the rapper but she pulls it off with the weariness and sheer poetry of her lyrics. From the school of hard-knocks yet she rises.



97. Born To Lose (Sleigh Bells):

the distorted, loud guitar riffs are back and this time Sleigh Bells have taken a delicious turn with Born to Lose, incorporating a host of motor sounds to the mix. Alexis Krauss seamlessly works her vocals into the frame instead of dividing attention.



98. I Am What I Am (Spiritualzed):

a swirling mess of thunderous guitars and lyrical bravado that’s lacking for the rest of the album all turn up here for one big, grand statement.



99. Ave Maria (Imani Coppola):

laid back but the crunchy guitars absolutely sell the song, no matter the simplicity involved of this black chick wondering if her lover is gay or European.



100. Time (Nomad Carlos):

one of the new local hip/hop artists emerging into the mainstream, Carlos goes retro and still finds at interesting combination of grooves and lyrical content.

2012: The Best New Artists...

I’m still buzzing how my break-out artist last year, Grimes has blown up exactly how I predicted. As year-end lists pile on with her and Frank Ocean (he, too was on my list), it’s time to look forward to the next batch of promising new musicians. As with last year, these artists aren’t all new but this was the year that made you not forget about their impact on the years to come:




First, my pick as the top new artist of the year (drum roll..)

Azealia Banks:

exactly one year ago, the first set of views on Youtube for a song called 212 started to spread word of a new American female hip/hop artist called Azealia Banks. It wasn’t expected to do anything other than merely introduce the world to her but here we are—two releases later and she’s still the most talked-about female artist out there yet to put out a debut-proper. That’s not hype, that’s talent being waited to be consumed by the masses. February 2013 is the new release date for Bank’s debut and it’ll be interesting to see how much she’s learned from an incredible year and move on from there.



and the rest (in no particular order)...




Kendrick Lamar:

not technically a new artist but the flawless Good Kid, M.A.A.D City was his first LP for a major label. Given all the plaudits it’s gotten this year I need not say anymore…after all I’m sure you’ve heard it by now.




THEESatisfaction:

after apparently wowing the SXSW festival this year, many then believed the duo, Stasia Irons and Catherine Harris-White to be the real deal. I already knew it after listening to their great debut this year and, lest one forget, they played a huge part in last year’s Shabazz Palaces LP. Pretty high praise indeed.




Five Steez & Nomad Carlos:



the Jamaican hip/hop scene has been rumbling of late with new sounds and artists no longer content to be merely underground. And we’re all just catching on. It’s a cadre of dedicated artists and Five Steez & Nomad Carlos are spearheading this revolution but there’s an entire community helping out with producing their craft. It’ll be an exciting 2013 to see how much more these guys have stored up with their conscious lyrics and lush production flow.





Angel Haze:

while it’s hard to initially look beyond her striking styling to Aaliyah, that’s where the similarities end. Haze is more in line with Azealia Banks who, not surprisingly, she’s working on a collaboration LP. I for one can’t wait to hear that foul-mouthed delight.





Mac Demarco:

imagine a combination of Beck and Jack White and that’s basically what type of brilliance Demarco unfurled on his stunning pair of debuts this year. And he’s punkish-looking, irrepressibly horny and wants to write Bradford Cox-like songs afterwards. This kid is all the excitement of youthful energy. He doesn’t look like much but take a listen to Freaking Out The Neighbourhood and get converted.





Brittany Howard (of Alabama Shakes):

without doubt, the strongest vocals to capture critics this year was Brittany Howard, the lead singer for blues/soul band Alabama Shakes. Howard has been touring incessantly with her band the past year and everyone has been stunned by that commanding voice that beats all the current soul singers by a huge margin while being called the black Janis Joplin.





Ava Luna:

an exciting 6-member group that twists and chews out pop/rock/electronic tracks like the rent is overdue. Carlos Hernandez is the lead vocal but he is backed admirably by Ethan Bassford, Julian Fader, Felicia Douglass, Nathan Thompkins and Becca Kauffman. It’s a wide assortment, a little United Nation of musical ideas that works well.





Alt-J:

with this year’s Mercury Prize theirs, this British band is now firmly on its way but what’s so pleasantly surprising is the cool, steady hand that is their debut. Formed in 2007, Alt-J is Joe Newman, Thom Green, Gus Unger-Hamilton & Gwil Sainsbury and one can tell these guys overdosed on Radiohead’s Kid A when it came out.





Django Django:

the exciting new music coming out of England of late isn’t only with solo artists as this group (Dave Maclean, Vincent Neff, Tommy Grace, Jimmy Dixon) have put out a terrific debut album while distinguishing themselves from everyone else. They’ve been in the spotlight since 2009 but it was only this year that everything came together. This is the type of intelligent yet smart pop/rock music that, quite frankly, most American bands are struggling to produce.





Chet Faker:

the soulful Aussie hasn’t become a household name in North America yet but Down Under he’s made an incredible start by winning two prizes at that country’s Independent Music Awards. Faker, real name Nick Murphy, rose to prominence by covering Blackstreet’s hit No Diggety but his debut EP proved that it was no mere fluke. The ease in which he vocally navigates these beats makes for an exciting listen and I can’t wait to hear what soul goodies he’s planning next.





Lana del Rey:

love her or hate her but Lana del Rey’s stunning EP earlier this year found a niche that is only now imploring upon listeners globally. She’s seriously flawed as a concept artist but that’s the fun in watching her assemble the damaged parts and drown them in deep analysis.




Beth Jean Houghton:

the British lass with the quirky hairdos but, more importantly, the deep, mature folk voice. Mark my words: she’ll go solo and wow us with her next opus.





Kimbra:

imagine my surprise to learn that the star of a song the world has latched onto—Somebody That I Used To Know—was a male singer called Gotye and not the obvious star Kimbra. Though her debut Vows was released in her native New Zealand in 2011, it only reached North America this year. With her jazzy textures and sensual voice, this lass is the real deal.

2012: The Top 10 Most Disappointing Albums...

Of all the year-end lists that I do, this is the one that I look forward to the least. One invests a lot of time into an artist’s growth and at times one can see the promise land even before they do. Most of the artists here have tasted glory before but have fallen or some just stand on the cusp but somehow haven’t made it yet. Here’s to hoping they get back on track:




1. Santigold Master of My Make-believe:

apparently recorded in writer’s block as well as frustration with the vapid state of pop, White returns after simmering in Jamaica but this cannot compare with her stellar debut 4 years ago. The disposable pop/ska never quite lifts off and though Disparate Youth is stunning, her sense of America chic slips too often. (METACRITIC SCORE: 7.4/10)





2. Pop Levi Medicine:

the most exciting new pop artist from 2007 returned under the radar this year. Medicine is indeed a huge disappointment as these songs rattle off without the same funky genius that animated 2007’s best song Sugar Assault Me Now. Is there hope for him to return with the good stuff? Time will tell but I sure hope so. (METACRITIC SCORE: 5/10)





3. Yeasayer Fragrant World:

when I discovered Yeasayer in 2008, I thought wow: here’s a band that’s going to merge pop and rock in ways never seen before. Their debut, All Hour Cymbals was my 6th best album of the year and their masterpiece song, Wait for the Summer was branded as my best song of 2008. Two years after that, a few jitters appeared with Odd Blood but here now comes the weird-sounding Fragrant World, with its shapeless cover art and music. I’m left to wonder what exactly went wrong here but still searching for answers. (METACRITIC SCORE: 7.1/10)





4. Ani DiFranco Which Side are you On?:

any feminist artist out there now knows they owe a huge debt to DiFranco, who championed indie music long before it was cool to do so. Four years ago, she gave us the radical Red Letter Day, one last great “fuck you all” shout but now, as a mother and seemingly very content in her life, the rebel seems a distant past. (METACRITIC SCORE: 6.9/10)





5. Andrew Bird Break It Yourself:

few artists inspire the type of technical awe Andrew Bird does but for all his genius ability to play and co-ordinate intricate instruments, his lyrics have stopped blowing the roof off. (METACRITIC SCORE: 8/10)





6. Japandroids Celebration Rock:

the duo’s debut, Post-Nothing was my 4th best album of 2009 and after waiting three years for the follow-up, you can imagine how glad I was to hear the familiar noise and structure framing their songs. The beauty of the noise though isn’t as sharp as was before, nor the songs as memorable. I hate to be a party pooper but for the life of me I can’t see why The House That Heaven Built is being crowned song of the year by virtually every critic. (METACRITIC SCORE: 8.3/10)





7. The Tallest Man On Earth There’s No Leaving Now:

Kristian Matsson may never escape the Bob Dylan voice comparison but, as I’ve stated before, there are worse things to worry about in popular music. This is yet another accomplished LP but the invisible ceiling keeping him in check hasn’t been shattered with it. We’re patient though Kristian, so take your time.. (METACRITIC SCORE: 7.2/10)





8. Sharon van Etten Tramp:

it took me a while to warm up to van Etten but after 2010’s brilliant Epic (my pick as 11th best LP of the year), she returns with Tramp, a little too-quiet force that sees her maturing more and more into the singer-songwriter we’ve known possible but still holding back from all out bliss. Some nice moments but one suspects there’s much more left in her tank. (METACRITIC SCORE: 8.1/10)





9. The Noisettes Contact:

lead singer Shingai Shoniwa was hailed by me as one of the break-out voices of 2009 and even three years later it’s easy to see why. Contact holds up at points because her vocals still know its way around grooves but the band hasn’t taken a leap here—more like remain stuck in mid-range songs. I said it before and I’ll say it again: it’s time for Shoniwa to embark upon a solo career. (METACRITIC SCORE: 7.7/10)






10. Xiu Xiu Always:

a bit lost since their last album, Xiu Xiu returns with Jaime Stewart still rummaging through the unhappy past life we’ve been co-mingling with since the band’s debut. Yet, if Dear God, I Hate Myself had points of convergence then Always merely just attempts to rekindle something interminably lost. With the exception of the fascinating Smear the Queen, it’s difficult to see purpose and healing within all this wailing and flailing around. (METACRITIC SCORE: 7.8/10)

2012: The Top 10 Worst Films (that I saw)

Bad films are a part of our lives—its best to just acknowledge that and move on. This list is far from concrete because like any self-respecting critic, I do not watch bad films on purpose. So, after I reached a certain quota then I stopped watching. Surely there are worst films released subsequently but I never set eyes on them. Here’s the unfortunate viewing experiences of 2012:



1. The Dictator (directed by Larry Charles):

Sacha Baron Cohen’s search for satire in a post Borat world has been downright ridiculous and this is his ultimate worst attempt at relevance until, well, perhaps whatever he’s planning next. (METACRITIC SCORE: 5.8/10)





2. Snow White & The Huntsman (directed by Rupert Sanders):

the film’s body politic surrounding the queen and Snow White remains strange even up to its dull conclusion. The director, Rupert Sanders (in his debut) is not concerned with transcendence but more so that you get the generic point of how life-sapping the queen is…as if somehow you’re in danger of ever forgetting it. Snow White and the Huntsman never looks back to see how Ravenna gets to be the monster that she becomes, just a brief glimpse on the effect of her own mother’s words and charms upon her.
(METACRITIC SCORE: 5.7/10)






3. Gone (directed by Heitor Dhalia):

where, once again, with incredibly cheesy writing, Amanda Seyfried is the undeniable weakest link in a film where she was the star. (METACRITIC SCORE: 3.6/10)






4. Silent Hill: Revelation 3D (directed by Michael J. Bassett):

even in 3D this is by far the worst attempt at horror this year. The premise is now worn out and with the cult defeated, please no more Alessa! (METACRITIC SCORE: 1.5/10)






5. Ted (directed by Seth McFarlane):

a massive hit and one I looked forward too but by the time Ted uttered the first words, I knew I’d end up hating it. What could have been a tale of co-dependency turns out into a corny, horny romp through adult life. Ugh, lets hope McFarlane doesn’t pull too many references of it at next year’s Oscars. (METACRITIC SCORE: 6.2/10)





6. Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance (directed by Brian Taylor & Mark Neveldine):

it wouldn’t be an annual worst film list without Nicholas Cage… (METACRITIC SCORE: 3.2/10)






7. One For the Money (directed by Julie Anne Robinson):

Katherine Heigl plays a sorta cop tracking down a former lover whom she may very well be in love with still. The ensuing triteness is enough to make one weep from boredom. (METACRITIC SCORE: 2.2/10)






8. Dark Tide (directed by John Stockwell):

the trailer for Dark Tide is pretty good at deceiving one with what’s going on. One expects some gripping sea saga but what the trailer can’t hide is Halle Berry. Yet again, Berry has found herself in a schizophrenic film with choppy, cheap action and her own questionable acting doesn’t help much. The film, on another note, hasn’t even made half a million at the box office despite being made for $25 million. (METACRITIC SCORE: 2.3/10)






9. The Possession (directed by Ole Bornedal):

Sam Raimi has been involved with exceptionally cheesy and bad horror films for a while now so when I saw that he was the producer of this, expectations were low. The film, based on a real-life event, follows a family dealing to reclaim the soul of the daughter after she accidentally opens a dybbuk box. The spirit gets out, makes mischief and blah blah blah. (METACRITIC SCORE: 4.5/10)





10. Alex Cross (directed by Rob Cohen):

Tyler Perry may be a heavyweight behind the camera for the average movie-goer but even that target audience didn’t like this much. The film has run into a $10 million deficit at the box office and after a few minutes its easy to see why. Perry is so bad as an actor that half-way through—while I was still waiting for anything to happen—I started to pine for Madea. Let us just hope they recast the character for the next film. (METACRITIC SCORE: 3/10)